Reliable public transport elusive for Srinagar commuters

,Reliable public transport is still not available for many areas of the capital city, where 90 percent commuters depend on the frustrating and uncertain service.

Commuters in the city regularly complain that public
transport like mini buses and Sumo shared cabs go off the roads in the evening,
while a large number of mini-buses engaged to ferry schoolchildren from in the
afternoon result in overloading in the limited buses available afterwards.

A large number of commuters can be seen daily waiting for
buses near Kashmir Hatt, Lal Chowk, Jehangir Chowk, Sanat Nagar, Rambagh,
Jawahar Nagar, Abdullah Bridge, Sonwar, Batwara and Dalgate, Gogjibagh, Bemina
and its adjacent areas.

Most of them, including elderly persons, can be seen asking
for a lift from private cars.

“Sometimes, we are helpless in absence of public transport
in the evening and move on foot,” said a Kralpora-bound passenger at Jahangir
Chowk.

Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Harvan said Sumos ferrying
passengers on these routes change or shorten their routes after 3pm.

“Suppose a sumo ferries passengers from Lal Chowk to Harvan.
But after 3pm, the same sumo refuses to cover this destination and will ferry
passengers from Lal Chowk to Nishat only. It leaves passengers of other areas
fuming and helpless,” Ahmad said.

Some areas in city and its outskirts have no public
transport available. On some routes, only Sumo service ferry passengers and no
mini-buses are available.

“The unreliability of public transport raises questions over
the functioning of concerned authorities,” said Tanveer Ahmad, a commuter.

Some of the areas where no mini-buses are available include
Syed Abad Soiteng, Padshahibagh, Lasjan and Dara.

“Our children are studying in various private and public
educational institutions located in other areas. Every student has to spend Rs
40 per day on average for travelling in Sumo. The bus fair would only be just
Rs 15 to 20 per day on average if mini-buses were available on our route,” said
Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Syed Abad Soiteng.

Regional transport officer Kashmir, Iqramulla Tak said that
he would look into all these matters.

“I will call transporters to ensure passengers don’t suffer
in evening. We will also start mini-bus service in areas where it is not
presently available. We are aware around eighty to ninety percent people use
public transport in Srinagar,” Tak said.

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